Conrad Black didn’t need high-powered friends to get him a residence permit

The rumour that someone in the immigration office helped Conrad Black’s application for a temporary residence permit along has persisted ever since the baron dashed back to Canada upon his release from a Miami jail. The average time to process an application is one to three years, but Black’s was approved in just three weeks, which fired up both NDP leader Thomas Mulcair and speculation of special treatment. But it turns out the baron’s governmental cronies didn’t fast-track his application. CBC reports it has obtained documents from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that prove no politicians were pulling the strings; rather, Black’s application sallied through because has had previously received a temporary residence permit. For Black, that’s one scandal down, many more to go. [CBC News]